This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Some conventional axle assemblies, such as semi-float beam axles for example, include a differential assembly configured to receive torque via an input and transmit differential output torques to left and right axle shafts. The differential typically includes a casing, a pair of pinion gears, and a pair of side gears. The pinion gears are mounted on a cross-pin shaft within the casing for common rotation with the casing about a first axis and relative rotation about the cross-pin's axis. The side gears are rotatably mounted within the casing and meshingly engaged with the pinion gears. Each of the side gears is non-rotatably coupled to a respective one of the axle shafts to provide differential torque to each axle shaft. Each side gear typically has an internally splined bore that is counter-bored on a side of the gear facing the cross-pin. Each axle shaft typically has an externally splined surface and a circumferentially extending groove on an end of the axle shaft facing the cross-pin. The internally and externally splined surfaces are configured to couple the side gear and the axle shaft for common rotation. A “C” shaped plate, typically called a C-lock, or retainer, is configured to fit around the circumferentially extending groove in each axle shaft to inhibit outboard relative axial movement between the side gear and the axle shaft. When the differential is assembled, the C-lock fits within the counter-bore of the side gear to prevent the C-lock from escaping the circumferential groove. The axle shafts with engaged C-locks are blocked from inboard relative axial movement with the side gear by the presence of the cross-pin. Typically the cross-pin must be removed partially from the differential casing to enable assembly/disassembly of the C-locks to the axle shafts. Because the cross-pin removal must clear the teeth of the hypoid ring gear externally mounted to the differential casing, the differential casing must be designed with enough length along its primary axis to allow the aforementioned assembly/disassembly process. This condition contributes to higher mass and cost of the axle assembly. To this end, there remains a need in the art for development of improved differential assemblies.